Page 70 of The Wildest Ride

Lil smiled. “My gran hates them. Hates sweets, altogether. Prefers salty.”

“The Old Man’s the same way. Personally, I prefer spicy—be it sweet or salty.”

“Sweet spicy?” she asked before polishing off her s’more. As she licked her fingers, AJ didn’t need to ask which she preferred.

He did, however, need looser pants.

Answering her question, he said, “Rebanaditas—chili watermelon suckers—those are my favorite.”

She wasn’t licking her fingers to make a production of it—he knew that, logically—she did it just to get the marshmallow off. That didn’t change the fact that her full lips wrapped around each digit and sucked it clean in a way that had him imagining her working on other things.

“So what’s your real story?” he asked lightly, hoping the subject change would get his mind out of the gutter. “Lil Sorrow can’t be your real name.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, like she’d thought he would never bring it up.

When he’d just about given up on her answering, she replied, “It is, actually. Lilian Sorrow Island. I really do go by Lil, though.”

Lilian. It was so...feminine. Like sunsets, lemonade on porch swings, and class. It was so far from the world of rodeo and yet, taking in her fine-boned strength, it absolutely suited her.

He didn’t say that, though. Instead, he said, “Your middle name is Sorrow?”

She shrugged. “It’s a family name.”

“So Lil Sorrow is your real name. I thought it was a stage name. You know, because you reap sorrow, leaving a trail of cowboy dreams in your wake.”

Lil groaned. “You and everybody else. It would have been simpler if Gran had signed me up with my regular name.”

“It’s got a nice ring to it.”

Giving him a baleful look, she said, “No, it doesn’t.”

AJ’s grin turned wicked. “Lilian. I think it’s time we address the elephant in the room.”

She side-eyed him dryly. “We’re not in a room, Garza.”

“I think we’re on more intimate terms than that, Lilian.”

Her name rolled off his tongue with a smoothness that demanded a second taste. Everything about her demanded a second taste.

“We kissed, and then near did more.”

“Nothing to talk about,” she said with a shrug. “It was just a kiss and drinking too much.”

“And you’re just alright at riding.”

Her cheeks darkened once more and his chest warmed. He liked making her blush.

“You’re truly amazing, you know,” he added.

Instead of brushing him off, she surprised him by saying, “Thanks. For a long time, it was all I wanted to do.”

“What changed?” He found himself holding his breath for her answer.

“I—” She seemed at a loss. Then she frowned and continued in a lowered voice, “I gave up.”

He hadn’t expected the answer from her and he found himself disappointed. Still, he asked, “Why would you do that? You’ve obviously got prize money in you.”

Lil looked up at the sky, full dark now and peppered with stars.